Cloud Nine
by turtlequeen2
Summary: Kagu:Sess: Paradise is fleeting. Especially when you're forced to become emotionless. Dark!fic. Some adult situations. Based off of the Evanescence song with the same title.


**Disclaimer:**

Turtlequeen2: I'm back with another one-shot! This is my very first dark!fic…so that should be a warning to all those who like happy fluff.

Kagura: Why do I feel that I should be afraid?

Turtlequeen2: Oh, I don't know…-innocent look-

Kagura: You know what? I'm not going to even ask.

Turtlequeen2: Good choice! -grins-

I do not own Inuyasha; only Rumiko Takahashi does! I do not own the song, "Cloud Nine"—the song is owned and created by Evanescence.

I thank vbollman and SugarRos for helping me with the ending.

**WARNING:** Suggestive themes are in this fic. Limes meaning less-detailed sex scenes and dark themes are included! So all those with light constitutions should turn away NOW! There is also character death and tragedy. If you expect innocent fluff, I suggest you also look away (to which you should have known by now that nothing of that kind would even happen).

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* * *

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Cloud Nine

Crimson eyes glimmered over with lust and a small whimper was heard from the woman who was in the embrace with the person she wanted more than anything to have to herself.

A passionate kiss filled with yearning and longing brought the two together. No words of love were exchanged, as they were never needed.

With a clap of thunder sounding overhead, clothes began to drop as frequently as the lightening flashing in the night sky. Ragged breath became the music of the sensual dance.

Wind bristled against bare skin as the two continued their sinful passion. Neither knew if it was from the coming storm or by the woman's reaction to her heightened senses. Hands tingled as they brushed against their dark, and yet beautiful works of art.

"S-Sesshoumaru!" hissed the woman as he finally allowed both to give into themselves by the patterned crash of thunder.

"Kagura…" he murmured, his lips against the her neck when he heard her beg for more.

Silver and black tresses blended together as the two moved on the cold grass at a desperate pace.

To Kagura, it was like a rush. The feeling of flying. When she was with Sesshoumaru she did not think about anyone else nor any of her problems.

As for Sesshoumaru, he figured that it was the least he could give her since he had no desire to help her kill Naraku for her freedom. He refused her requests, but when she came for him asking for him to satisfy her in the least, he had no objections. It was not like she was a whore, but she wanted to experience it with the man she cared most about since she had no idea how long she had to live. Who was he to deny her that much?

Torrents of rain began to pour down as Kagura screamed out her relief.

He slumped against her as he had his own release. The rapidly falling water was a welcome feeling after slowly falling from the high sensation.

Of course, this was not the first time that they had done this. It was becoming a normal thing for these two. It was like a growing addiction for both. Though Sesshoumaru hated to admit it, he was beginning to need the woman.

* * *

"Kagura?" came the devious voice of the one she hated more than anything in the world. He was the one who snapped her back into reality. He was the one who sobered her up.

"What is it now, Naraku?!" she snapped, glaring at the one who dared to make her live through her own Hell.

"I hoped you enjoyed your time outside," he chuckled, his oily voice grating on her ears. Of course, he had not seen what had specifically been done. Kagura made sure of that.

She gave him no response, keeping her glower on him. The less words she gave away, the less he would question her. It was like a ritual these two shared. Saying little and gaining little from each other.

It mattered not to her. Over the two years she had been with him, she had begun losing hope of ever being free from him. After Sesshoumaru turned her down so much, she had gotten used to disappointment. Sesshoumaru's brother gave her no trust and she was not planning on changing herself to gain that trust.

"Oh, I have something I will _love_ giving to you…" Naraku trailed off in a tone that made her cringe.

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "And what is that? More work?" she demanded, the sarcasm stinging her words.

"No, dear Kagura," he sneered, the moonlight shining down on his eyes that matched her own color. They burned with such sadistic pleasure that he was only known to contain. "It's much more rewarding than that…"

"Huh? Rewarding? Any type of servitude towards you is always 'rewarding' enough…" she gritted out, the sarcasm still strong.

He knew how she was, for he had created her. "Ah, quite true," he responded, feigning ignorance towards her cynicism. "Allow me to show you…"

Before she was able to get anymore words out, black tentacles wrapped around her torso and ankles. When they got to her arms, her fan dropped from her grasp. She was levitating from the ground and fixed her hated stare in his direction as he chuckled.

"I have much _fun_ in store for you, my dear," he purred, revolting her as he took her to a room within the castle that she was all-too familiar with.

* * *

Their pace seemed more frantic than before.

Kagura's pleading seemed more urgent. Her mewls of pleasure echoed across the vacant fields.

Sesshoumaru wondered if anything was wrong with her. Her eyes were distant and her nails gripped his shoulders with new vigor, leaving behind mini crescents within his skin.

"More," she begged when he entered her.

She longed to forget everything. She wanted the power that only he could give. The relief that he could only provide.

He gave her what they needed—what they both needed. He knew that he was the only one who could satisfy her carnal appetite.

The pair needed no words to exchange. Their actions spoke much more loudly than their words. Through what they did, they were able to express that something was wrong as Kagura did now.

Choosing to ask about her assurance during this time was not an option that Sesshoumaru had. It was a silent agreement between them. He was the one who gave out this objective and to take it back himself was not fair to the both of them; especially not to Kagura since she was getting used to his lack of words.

Once both felt the shudder of ecstasy flow through their veins, they shared one lingering kiss and pulled away.

Before Sesshoumaru left from her sight, fully clothed, he spoke. "Kagura."

"Yes?" she questioned, her voice still raspy from her earlier actions. Fixing her kimono back into place, she cast a look at the daiyoukai.

"Is there anything bothering you? You seem different from before," he stated simply, no feeling leaking into his vocabulary. His amber-gold eyes twinkled with curiosity while the rest of his face remained neutral and cold.

Shaking her head, she replied, "No. Nothing different than usual. You don't have to worry about me. That's what we agreed on, right?"

He nodded, silently cursing his rashness. He knew that she was lying, but he knew prying into it more would make it appear that he cared about her. He did not want that. He finally turned his back on her, inwardly anxious for the next time.

_

* * *

_

Crimson splattered down pale legs and onto the cold ground.

Kagura's eyes were wide open as she stared into the blackness. She felt restrained against the dank wall, but was not upset about that. She was actually used to the feeling.

_The pain made the woman cringe as more incisions were cut into her. More blood dripped down…_

She struggled against the flaming chains that held her in place. She grit her teeth together as she felt the agony of the chains rubbing against her flesh.

_She looked up at the face of the one slicing into her and was shocked. Sesshoumaru. _

"No…" she whispered, slumping slightly against her binds. Her eyes widened.

_"Kagura, there was a reason I didn't desire to help you. That was because I wanted to kill you, myself…" Sesshoumaru laughed cruelly. He lifted his claws, revealing her blood dripping down them. _

"No…" she whimpered in a desperate tone. "S-Sesshoumaru…" Her eyes began to look distant, her face paling into a ghostly-white color.

_Flexing his claws, he finally brought down the deadly blow. She felt her flesh sever as her body was ripped in two. Staring up at the one she cared for most, tears overflowed while she coughed up blood. The last thing she heard was his harsh laughter as she died…_

Kagura's breath hitched, liquid pearls spilling over her cheeks. The shock was too much. She succumbed to the darkness and slumped over, falling limp against her chains. Tears still trailed down her face as she laid unconscious.

* * *

If Sesshoumaru was not a daiyoukai, he would have had trouble keeping up with her frantic pace.

She wanted him more than anything and wanted him quickly. He was her high and if she did not have him, she thought that she would die. She clutched at him like a lifeline as he gave her what she needed. She bit her lip harshly to keep from outright screaming.

Looking down at her, he saw her distant stare again. To him, she looked as if she was just going through the motions, not enjoying it as passionately as she used to—just desired it badly enough.

"Sesshoumaru!" she shouted as she reached the hilt of her pleasure.

He followed soon after, her name falling from his lips as he slumped against her slightly.

When the two finally pulled apart and began to dress, he cast a look at her, not liking the look in her eyes. It did not seem like her at all.

It was not as if he did not enjoy it. It was still pleasurable, but it was nearly as if he was with a different woman. Gone was her sarcasm, replaced with seriousness and coldness that almost matched his own.

"Sesshoumaru," she called, cutting him off from his thoughts.

He turned towards Kagura, watching her pin up her hair, silently giving her his attention.

She knew that he was paying attention by the way his eyes focused intently on her. "So, I'll ask this the last time. Are you sure that you don't want to kill Naraku for me?" she asked.

He was silent for a few moments while he pondered over her statement. Why did she choose this time over any other time to contemplate this? And why was it taking him so long to think about? Surely, he had not changed his mind over this short a time? He was irritated with his many unanswered questions, but did not show it on his face. "Why ask me this now?" he could only manage.

"Why _not_ now? We've been doing this for quite some time…" she answered. "I guess it was foolish for me to think that you would have change your mind…" She let out a laugh that sounded fake to even herself.

Of course, he noticed her false-sounding laugh, but decided not to comment on it. "Yes, you are foolish to think that I would have changed my mind," he agreed. Inwardly, he was not as sure as he used to be, but he was not about to be known as a man who wavered between choices. That showed weakness and that was something that Sesshoumaru was not about. "Are you still willing to carry on this?" he pondered out loud.

"More than willing," she sighed. "But about my question…" she trailed off. "I thought about it for a while…"

"'Thought about…'?" he cut in, his eyebrow arching in slight interest.

"I don't think that I'm afraid of death any longer…" she smiled faintly. "Death would grant me my freedom. Not to mention, I'm used to Naraku's shit by now. It's only a matter of time before he casts me aside like his other minions. I won't mind when that happens or if I die from some other cause. So, if you're not willing to kill Naraku for my sake, I don't mind at all."

When he saw her smile, for an almost brief moment, he saw a flash of an emotion within her eyes that was _her_. It was pure and wild. It was Kagura.

Though, as fast as it appeared, it disappeared. "You do not fear death?" he repeated out loud.

"No," she replied, the cold smile still on her face.

He rose to his feet, not bothering to say a word, and walked off.

_If you want to live, let live_

_If you want to go, let go_

_I'm not afraid to dream—to sleep, sleep forever_

_I don't need to touch the sky_

_I just want to feel that high _

_And you refuse to lift me_

She sat in the silence, keeping the smile on her face. Standing up after a while, she decided to head back towards Naraku's castle. There was nothing more to do where she was at.

_

* * *

_

Tentacles wrapped around her lithe body, holding her feet above the ground. She thrashed against her restraints, cursing at her maker as she did so.

"Naraku…" Kagura hissed, pulling on her chains.

_Red liquid rained down onto the wooden panels as multiple tendrils stabbed through her torso. She could not help but cough up blood as he continued to pummel through her. She had no means of defense as her fan lay on the ground beside them; useless. _

Her breath began to rise in speed. "Damn you…" she cursed. If she had a heart within her, she knew that it would have been racing.

_"Kagura…" Naraku growled, a glare fixed upon her. "I grow tired of your insolence…" Lifting up one of his hands, her pulsing organ of life appeared within his palm. "Perhaps it is time that I put an end to it…" he laughed cruelly. _

"No…! Please!" she gasped, thrashing against her holds. "I'll listen!"

_"Don't you think that it's a little too late for that?" he chuckled. Giving her heart a harsh squeeze, he watched as she let out a strangled cry. If she was not held up by his tentacles, she would have doubled over from the agonizing pain. _

Sweat appeared on her brow. The suffering was real and yet she never died from it. It was as if she was breathing in the deepest flames of Hell. She let out small whimpers of agony.

_Another squeeze and tears pricked the back of her eyes. She pushed them back, never wanting Naraku to have the satisfaction of seeing her cry. _

_"Enjoying it, Kagura?" he sneered, watching her facial expression. Her face contorted into that of a fighting child, wanting so desperately to be relieved from her punishment. _

"Bastard…" Kagura growled out between clenched teeth. Her eyes began to lose their glossy, red shine and began to dull.

_Guess it wasn't real after all_

_Guess it wasn't real all along_

_If I fall and all is lost_

_It's where I belong_

_"Isn't it sad, Kagura? You're dying and yet no one is coming for your rescue… Does that mean that everybody wants you dead?" Naraku taunted. "It seems like I'm doing everyone a favor by ridding the world of you." _

"No…! It's not true!" she cried, shaking her head violently from side to side. Her eyes enlarged with fear. It could not be true! Sesshoumaru was still putting up with her, right? Or was it because he just merely lusted after her body? "No…" she repeated, her voice dropping into a defeated whisper.

_It appeared that after she heard those words, she stopped struggling. _

_Naraku let out a malicious laugh, clenching her heart once more. This time, her heart ceased to thrash about, laying still within his palm. This time, her final breath escaped from her, her body beginning to disintegrate into dust…_

Kagura let out a shuddering breath and slumped over, not finding the strength to stay awake.

* * *

As Kagura got more demanding with her and Sesshoumaru's frantic couplings, the daiyoukai inwardly grew more concerned about her well-being.

He knew that it was quite foolish to determine one's state of health by their "performance," but he still could not help but wonder. Why did she look so distant? Why did she keep silently demanding reckless things?

When they pulled apart this particular night, he noticed how dull her expression had become. She was beginning to resemble coldness.

He was beginning to miss her fire. The fire that blended so well with his ice.

"Kagura," he stated in his monotonous voice, already dressed and situated because of his quick demonic speed.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru?" she questioned, fixing the front of her kimono back into place. She reached for her discarded hairpin and began working on pinning up her hair.

"You give off the impression that you are coming to see me in order to escape from something…or some_one_…" he deduced.

She sucked in a shiver of breath, not expecting him to say such a thing that would catch her off guard. "W-what are you talking about? I'm always trying to get away from Naraku!"

Sesshoumaru quickly took a mental note of her shudder. "What I mean by 'escape' is something far different from your normal circumstances. You appear as if you desire to forget certain events and hide them from all of the world to see."

She shot him a glare, the fire rekindling in her eyes for the first time in weeks. "And what would you know about me?!" she demanded, the growling clearly heard in her voice. "We only bed down together!"

He was almost tempted to say something else insulting to get her more angered. _Almost._ He had missed her fiery spirit, though he was not going to admit that aloud. Instead, he said, "That is true enough, but I know you better than you would like to imagine. For instance…" he trailed off, his eyes narrowing to match the tone in her voice. "…I know when you lie to me."

She did not appear to back down. "And who is saying that I'm lying to you?!" Her eyes narrowed, appearing like slits of blazing flames.

"Your defensive stance to my simple observation just now tells me all I need to know. Your face and your eyes give away your position, also."

"Look, I don't know where the hell you're going with this, but I'm leaving if you don't get to the point!" she declared, the rage and frustration coursing through her veins.

His facial expression never faltered. "Kagura, if there is something wrong, tell me." A subtle flash of emotion shown through his eyes at that instant, making the woman falter in the slightest bit.

Keeping her glare on him, she shrugged. "There isn't anything wrong."

"Do not lie to me, Kagura," he snarled, his frustration beginning to get the best of him. There was only so much patience that Sesshoumaru had and with this woman, it was beginning to thin.

Tearing her face away from his flash of anger, she pulled a feather from her hair. "Why should you care, anyways? It's not as if anyone else cares about me…" she grumbled under her breath.

If his ears were not demonic, he would not have caught it. And he was almost wishing that he would not have heard those words. It caught him off guard and it was not often that Sesshoumaru could be caught off guard. "Kagura," he could only manage to say.

"You know what?" she said, turning her eyes toward his, "Just—just forget it!"

_If you want to live, let live_

_If you want to go, let go_

_I'm never gonna be your sweet, sweet surrender_

When she showed him her face, his irritated countenance disappeared immediately. She looked so _broken_. So frail and detached. It sickened him.

"You couldn't understand…" she trailed off. "Nobody understands…" She was prepared to rise to her feet and leave him behind.

His sudden grip on her forearm told her body otherwise. "Kagura."

Wild emotions flashed across the woman's eyes as she was forced to bore them back within her lover's. And with those emotions, a shiny sheen began to appear. The coming of _tears_. "Let me go," she commanded in a tone that sounded weaker than she meant it to be.

He merely repeated her name that sounded strangely like he _cared_. It was unlike him to put feeling behind his words. Especially towards this woman.

It was too much for her to handle. Using all of her strength, she tore away from his hold and threw her feather into the air, transforming it into a giant flying contraption. Jumping onto the feather, she sped away, casting one last look at his increasingly smaller form.

This time, he did not try to stop her. He just looked at her retreating form with his emotionless expression, hardening his icy eyes to regain his temporarily lost composure.

The wind user tore her gaze from him, pulling out her fan and clenching it within her hand. She did not want him to see.

_Drip. _

_Drip._

_Guess it wasn't real after all_

_Guess it wasn't real all along _

Small tears overflowed from her breaking dam. She held back a sob as she retreated back towards her master's castle.

_

* * *

_

Yellow light streaked in the path towards her body, slicing through every major limb on her as it overwhelmed her form. She let out a shout of pain. She never expected this to happen again.

Kagura was strangely quiet this night. She only let out small snivels instead of her usual protests.

_"Take that, you bitch!" came the growl of a familiar silver-haired hanyou. "You're an idiot to think that I would help you kill Naraku!" _

She let out a small, bitter laugh. She should have known.

_There was no escape. Her feather ornaments and her fan were destroyed in battle. _

_"Who would help you anyways? You're Naraku's incarnation! No one trusts you!" Inuyasha accused. "You're better off dead!" A cold, heartless smirk appeared on his face. "And I'll help you achieve that." _

She had been a fool to think that Sesshoumaru's brother would help her if Sesshoumaru, himself, wouldn't.

_"KONGOUSOUHA!" he yelled, after diamond spears formed on Tessaiga's transformed blade. Upon shouting his battle cry, the spears released themselves and flew in her direction. They were too quick. She could not dodge. _

_She simply stood in place as the spears tore through her flesh, each spear stabbing through her body, each causing blood to fall. So this was how Naraku felt when Inuyasha did this to him? That was if that bastard even felt pain at all…_

Her crimson eyes began to fog over in coldness. Once more, they were dulling, but this time…much more dimmed than ever before. Slowly, she was beginning to retreat into herself. She was allowing loneliness to overtake her.

_As she laid on the ground, she saw her bodily limbs in pieces about her. She knew that she would not die yet. It was only a matter of time before she would regenerate herself. The wind user sent a glower up at the hanyou._

_"You disgust me. You're more despicable than any half-breed," he spat, sheathing his sword and walking away, not bothering to finish the job. "No wonder you're alone…" he muttered. _

Irony. A hanyou of all species calling her despicable. "Huh. I suppose I deserved it for all the things I've done…" she sighed. "Do I deserve being alone?"

_If I fall and all is lost_

_No light to lead the way_

_Remember that all alone _

_Is where I belong_

_Suddenly, before all of her body parts could re-gather themselves, Naraku appeared before her, clutching her heart within his hand._

_"How pathetic you are, Kagura…" he let out in a mock sigh, his dark eyes dancing with malicious intent. _

"'Pathetic,' huh?" she echoed icily. "It suits me…"

_"But fear not, I have come to relieve you of your binds…" he laughed, throwing her heart harshly to the ground before her face._

_Kagura stared helplessly at her beating organ, grimacing lightly, feeling the jolt when her heart hit the dirt. _

She leaned her body against the basement wall, not bothering to resist her chains. It was pointless. No one would help her. Nobody cared.

_Naraku sent out one of his sharp tendrils and sent it through her heart, in one, reckless motion. _

_Kagura watched as crimson began to pool out of the organ right before her eyes. As she felt herself die, the only sound she heard was her creator's cruel chuckle. _

Kagura remained awake this time. She only stared straight ahead of her, directly into the everlasting darkness of the basement chambers. It was as if her only future was black and empty.

* * *

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" came the croak of toad-youkai as he ran into his lord for the second time that day. "Please forgive me for my clumsiness…" The retainer bowed low behind his lord, his Nintoujou falling on the ground in front of him as he groveled.

Sesshoumaru paid no mind to his servant as stared ahead down the path of the forest. _'Kagura…'_ he thought faintly to himself as the wind blew in his direction.

Ever since she ran from him weeks before, he could not stop thinking about her. And that frustrated him to no end. He wanted more than anything to forget her touch, her voice, and even her eyes. It was quite obvious that their relationship could not continue the way it was going.

"Um…Jaken-sama?" called a timid girl's voice.

"What is it, Rin?!" the green youkai demanded in an irritated tone, setting his abnormally large yellow eyes on her.

"I don't think that Sesshoumaru-sama is paying attention to you…" she pointed out, noticing that their lord kept frozen in the same position and remained silent more than usual. It worried her, despite never doubting her lord's disposition. She knew, however, to keep such thoughts to herself.

The two-headed dragon-youkai she was currently riding on seemed to notice her worried feelings and let out a comforting growl to settle the human girl.

Rin smiled and patted one of its heads. "I'm all right, Ah-Un!" she grinned in her carefree manner.

"Oi, Rin! Don't ignore me!" Jaken yelled, finally getting fed up with everyone not paying attention to him.

"Oh, sorry, Jaken-sama!" Rin replied, truly meaning her words.

The toad-youkai let out a sigh, grumbling about nobody understanding what he went through as a servant.

"_Nobody understands…" _

Upon hearing Jaken's words, Sesshoumaru snapped out of his deep thoughts. It was decided. "Jaken," he stated in the tone that only he could use to call his servant to attention.

"Y-yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" the youkai stuttered in a questioning voice.

"Make camp here. Watch over Rin," the daiyoukai ordered, looking back at his group from the corner of his eye.

Jaken stared up his lord, inwardly cursing his luck. Stuck watching over the human brat again! "If it isn't too much to ask, milord, what are you planning to do _this_ time?" Jaken may have been annoying and weak at times, but he was observant and quite intelligent. He knew that Sesshoumaru went out to see Kagura, but never questioned the inu-youkai on it.

Sesshoumaru was also aware that his servant had an idea of what was going on between him and Kagura. Only a simpleton or human would not notice his change in scent when he returned to the group. Even after bathing, the scent of Naraku still ebbed off of his clothes. It was a blessing that his brother's company never bumped into him since him and Kagura's escapades began. He knew that Inuyasha would never let him hear the end of it. And Sesshoumaru didn't plan on taking his younger half-brother's life _that_ soon…

"I'm going to take care of some things…" Sesshoumaru only explained, disappearing into the forest's darkness before Jaken could have said anymore.

"Jaken-sama…" Rin called out. "Is something wrong with Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Rin…" the old youkai sighed. "You're too young to understand right now…"

She huffed, her brown eyes narrowing at him. "You just don't want to tell me!"

The retainer glared at the girl. "You insolent child! It's for your own good!"

She smiled at him in return, her innocence radiating from her. "I believe you, Jaken-sama!" Turning her attention towards the youkai she was resting upon, she patted its left head and pulled on its reigns gently. "Let's go, Ah-Un! Let's find you some grass to eat!"

The beast grunted happily, pulling both of them in the direction of a field.

Jaken heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. "Rin's going to be the death of me if Sesshoumaru-sama isn't first!"

* * *

"Kagura…" Naraku sneered upon seeing his incarnation appear before him. Oh yes, the "fun" he had planned out for her was working just nicely. He resisted the urge to outright snicker in front of her from the joy he had. It was only a matter of time…

"Yes, Naraku?" she stated, her dull expression directed at him. Gone was her fiery defiance from weeks ago—it was now replaced with a lack of emotion, putting out her fire. Her voice was even void of much emotion. She sounded as if she wanted to get her orders out as soon as possible in order to please Naraku and lesson her chance of punishment. Before, she mostly did things her own way.

"I have a task for you to carry out…" he trailed off, his eyes narrowing in the darkness, showing his seriousness.

"What else is new?" she asked, her voice lacking in her usual sarcasm. She still attempted to perform it, despite her new disposition.

He resisted the urge to heave a sigh at her attempt at sarcasm. "You are to deliver a message to the Inuyasha-Tachi," he ordered.

"Easy enough," she said blankly, the tone sounding like she was bored.

"Oh, and I shall send a golem of myself to keep watch over you…" he added.

"Why can't you just send Hakudoushi or Kanna?" she challenged, despite her voice not wavering in the slightest bit.

"Kagura, do you question me?" Naraku demanded, his voice dropping a few pitches in warning.

"No, of course not," she sighed. "Just tell me what I need to do."

Naraku's mouth upturned into an evil grin, unseen by his incarnation. Usually, Kagura would fight his orders, but now she just took whatever he said in stride. After telling her what was needed to be done, he watched as she exited the room with his puppet behind her.

* * *

Kagura scoured the grounds for the Inuyasha-Tachi and had difficulty finding them. "I thought you said that they were in this direction?" she questioned, turning to look at the baboon fur-cloaked copy of Naraku flying beside her on the cloud of his own shouki.

"I said that and I meant it. Why would I lead you astray?" he questioned.

"I don't know, but it wouldn't be the first time you've done it," she grumbled aloud, little emotion seeping through.

The puppet's eyes narrowed behind his cloak. Keeping his calm, he replied, "Kagura, why don't you land over there, near that opening…"

"And why should I do that?" she inquired, despite preparing to lower her feather. It was as if she was fighting with her own self.

"Why must you question me when you are doing what I told you?" he smirked, teasing her.

She gave him no answer and jumped from her feather when she was close enough to the ground. Her means of flight transformed back into its small form and she was able to replace it in her hair. Turning towards Naraku, she demanded, "Now what?"

He never gave her a verbal answer. However, his dark tendrils wrapped around her entire body like a cage before she was able to see what he was intending to do.

Kagura gave him barely any struggle. She had an idea of what he was attempting to do to her. She dropped to her knees on the grass and allowed him to have complete control over her.

He let out a cold laugh. "Very good, Kagura. Do not resist your fate…"

Her eyes closed, liquid pooling around her eyelids.

_"Yo, bitch!" yelled an annoying voice that Kagura was ticked off just to hear. She gave him no satisfaction of emotion on her face nor any verbal response. _

_"Well, you must finally accept your death! Oh, and guess what I stole from Naraku?" the voice taunted. His tanned hand held up her heart and her eyes widened only slightly. _

"Kouga…" she murmured aloud. She then said nothing more.

_"I wonder what happens when I do this…?" the wolf-youkai chief questioned in a taunting voice that was unlike himself. He gave her heart a harsh squeeze, making her drop to her knees in pain. _

_However, with that pain, she showed him no expression that proved her agony. Her breathing only became more labored. _

_"Oh, and guess who I found laying around here?" Kouga added, stopping her torture for the moment. Reaching behind him, he tossed a body in her direction. _

_She stared blankly at the body, but still, a single tear managed to escape her eye. _

"S-Sess…hou…m-maru…" she spoke softly in a broken voice. Of all the dead men she wanted to see before her, he was never one of them. She never wanted to see him dead!

_Peering down at the body of the one man she cared about, a small sob wracked her body. She noticed that Tenseiga was gone from his sheath, making him unable to have any source of protection from whoever attacked him. _

_"I think that Inukkoro finally killed his older brother as he intended to do…" Kouga sneered. "Good for him." _

_Sesshoumaru's eyes lay locked with hers. Kagura's eyes nearly were as dull as his soulless ones. Immediately, flashbacks of their final meeting sped through her mind. _

She remembered his caring amber stare shining through his neutral face. She recalled how he murmured her name with feeling.

"_Kagura, if there is anything wrong, tell me."_

Another single tear cascaded down her face.

_"Enough of this touchy crap! It's making me sick!" Kouga barked. "It's time for me to get my revenge for what you did to my tribesmen!" He charged towards her, giving her a kick in the gut. _

_She showed little emotion as she flew into a tree with brute force. She could feel her bones cracking from the impact and yet she did nothing. _

"Kill me…" she whispered. "I don't want to be alone anymore…" It was only now that she realized that Sesshoumaru _did_ care about her. What a fool she was! Now, it was too late! She was not alone with him around and now…now, he was gone from her. Now she was truly alone.

_"Gladly!" Kouga growled. "Now you'll feel the pain my brethren felt when you sliced them apart!" Still gripping on her heart, he clenched his palm around it in a quick motion while raking his claws through her flesh. _

_She gave him an eerie smile as she was cut up and blood sprayed from her injuries. She looked _thankful.

"Thank you…" she mumbled weakly.

_She laid on the ground, glancing up at her killer. It was ironic. Kouga got his revenge on her after so long. It was for the best…No one wanted her around. It was good that she was wiped off the face of this world. _

_Her eyes began to close…_

Suddenly, tentacles began to fall dormant around Kagura's body, causing the woman to remain on her knees, staring emotionlessly forward.

A blade sliced through the neck of Naraku's golem, making the head fall off effortlessly. The tentacles from his body fizzled into that of mud. The baboon cloak fluttered to the ground, surrounding the wooden statue embedded within it.

However, the head of the puppet remained levitated in the air and a laugh sounded from it. From behind the mask, the eyes could still see the person who dared to behead him. "Sesshoumaru-_sama_, how nice of you to join us…" he mocked.

"Naraku's golem," Sesshoumaru addressed, standing before both of Naraku's creations. "To what do I owe to this uneventful sighting?"

"That should be what I should ask you," the head remarked. "Did you come to rescue Kagura?" Continuing, he taunted, "My, Sesshoumaru, I never expected you to actually care for someone other than for yourself and that human child you watch over."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. He _hated_ when someone mocked him. It was one of the few things that could set him off. Controlling his emotions, his face remained neutral. Sheathing Toukijin, he replied, "I only saw vermin and thought it fit to remove it. Do not accuse I, Sesshoumaru, of caring for one of your incarnations in such an easy manner."

Naraku's head gave a laugh. "How amusing…" he commented. "Then, I suppose it would not interest you of what has become of Kagura?"

Sesshoumaru inwardly worried over the woman's condition, subtly casting a quick look at her still body. Keeping his icy glare on his enemy, he gave him no response.

Deciding to stall, the puppet began, "How sad…Kagura seemed to have cared about you. Before becoming in her current state, she called out your name in what I believe to be a tone of _love_. So, in a way, you were the one who drove her over the edge. I thank you for that."

The daiyoukai found it harder to contain his rising rage. What did the bastard mean by "over the edge"? Naraku, continuing his bating, was beginning to take affect on Sesshoumaru. Despite his anger, he was still able to maintain a straight countenance. "Naraku, though it does not interest me what becomes of your incarnation, I would like to inquire what you have done to her."

"I'm glad that you asked," the puppet chuckled. "She is what I would like to call, 'soulless.'"

Sesshoumaru's eyes couldn't help but narrow in the slightest bit. Soulless? He remembered Kanna, Kagura's older sibling, and saw how her eyes were. Kanna's eyes were dull and appeared void of any emotion whatsoever. Now looking at Kagura, he saw that same appearance in her crimson eyes. "So you've driven her to the brink of insanity?" he inquired.

"To an extent, yes," the golem admitted. "I merely showed her her greatest nightmares. It was her own self who shut her soul and her true self off from the rest of the world. She believes that she is 'alone.'" Wanting to know Sesshoumaru's reaction, he added, "Don't you believe that Kagura was quite foolish to believe that?"

As expected, the inu-youkai's eyes narrowed into deadly slits of ice of their own will. A low snarl began to emit from his throat, proving just the opposite of his cold words. "What was your purpose of making her this way?" he demanded, the growl still sounding in his voice.

"Well, I am not sure if you are aware, but she had a habit of disobeying me," Naraku explained. "So, I thought it fit to make her able to obey me. At the same time, I made her able to not fear death. I thought it was much better than killing her myself." An evil grin formed behind the mask. "You sound angry for one who doesn't care about what happens to her."

The growl grew louder. Sesshoumaru's fist clenched at his side, the anger slowly making its way onto his face. "Naraku, you are wrong. Making her soulless was a mistake on your part. How would she fight when she has lost the will to live?" His tone was composed despite his rage.

Inwardly, Sesshoumaru began to connect events. Gradually as weeks passed between their time together, she was growing more distant. It now made perfect sense. Naraku had started his mental torture upon her several months beforehand! Naraku mentioning her lack of fear over death made it all click together.

"_I don't think I'm afraid of death any longer."_

Naraku's eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn't thought that far ahead. However, out loud, he laughed once more. "Sesshoumaru, you underestimate my abilities. Not only does she has no fear of death, but she also locked away the rest of her previous memories. So, in other words, whatever she has done with you or anyone else is now gone from her mind. All she knows is that she works under me and has to do whatever I order her to do."

"You insist that she cannot come out of what she has put herself under?" Sesshoumaru demanded. "Since she has put herself within that state, it is possible for her to come out from that condition."

Naraku sniggered. "It's too late for her. She has shut herself in too deep. She is forever stuck in that state of mind…or lack of a mind to be exact…" A deadly smirk formed on his face. "Allow me to demonstrate, Sesshoumaru-_sama._"

Turning his attention to the still woman, he commanded, "Kagura. Kill Sesshoumaru and come back only when you have his head." Watching the woman rise with her fan in hand, he laughed darkly. "I bid you goodbye, Sesshoumaru." With that, the head fell to the dirt, crumpling up into dust.

Knowing that the puppet left nothing behind to watch them, he allowed his composed expression to slip a little. "Kagura…" he murmured, seeing the woman flick open her fan.

"Die," she whispered in a voice that could have rivaled her older sister's. "Fuujin no Mai," she mumbled, wringing out wind blades from her weapon. The white crescents flew in his direction at a deadly speed, half of them digging out the ground as they hit.

Of course, being the killing perfection that he was, Sesshoumaru dodged the attack with ease. Using his agility, he was able to appear in front of her. He gripped her arm holding the fan with his only hand. "Kagura, stop this foolishness," he commanded in a chilly voice with hopefulness hidden within the words.

She did not even grimace despite feeling the pain run up her wrist. Her bones were straining under his grip. Her eyes were frozen cold and void.

Sesshoumaru knew that if he placed any more pressure on her wrist, it would snap, so he maintained his strength to ensure that it wouldn't happen. "Naraku is imprudent. He truly thinks that you have enough power to defeat me? I highly doubt it."

Fisting up her other hand, she began to aim it towards his face.

He was quick to catch what she was about to do and caught the hand with the same one that was grasping her other. With both hands held above her head, she was not able to do anything in retaliation. Since a tree was behind them, he backed her against the trunk of the tree so that she had no way to escape. "I think he was intending for me to kill you or for me not to fight back, resulting in my death." His eyes remained narrowed. "He is quite the simple character."

Knowing that she was cornered, she allowed her hands to fall limp, dropping her fan to the ground beside them.

"Kagura, listen to me," Sesshoumaru ordered. "Fight him."

Based on the void look in her eyes, he could tell that he was not getting through to her. Then, Naraku's words flashed through his mind.

"_She believes that she is 'alone.'"_

He sucked in a breath. He could not believe what he was about to do. He was willing to show vulnerability to someone. It sickened him to do it, but at the same time, it was strangely fulfilling. Not that he would admit _that_ aloud… "Kagura, you aren't alone. Do not believe that despicable bastard's words. Why should you believe the words of the one that you loathe the most?"

"'Alone…'" she echoed in a voice that sounded like she was in a trance. "I am alone." Still, pictures began to flash through her mind. One person's picture in particular.

"You are not," he repeated in a firm tone through clenched teeth that was very unlike himself. He had no idea of whether or not he would regret his actions later, but he decided to push those ideas aside for the moment. "_I_ am here with you."

"You…" she trailed off, her countenance contorting into one of thought. Emotion flashed through her void eyes, making them appear less like Kanna's. "Why am I seeing faces…?"

He lessened his hold on her wrists upon hearing her words. Was he finally getting through to her? He said nothing more, hoping that he gave her enough. That and he was afraid that he would completely lose all of his defenses if he said much more.

She grimaced in pain, feeling a headache coming on. A single name went through her mind.

_Sesshoumaru_.

_Sesshoumaru…!_

_SESSHOUMARU!_

Glossy shine covered her eyes as the agony increased. Her knees began to weaken and she felt herself drop to her knees. His hold on her wrists completely released, allowing her to clutch her head. She saw one face.

An indigo crescent moon on his forehead. Silver hair flowing behind him. His amber-golden eyes of ice that only leaked compassion for her to see. His mokomoko-sama fluttering in the wind on top of his elaborate kimono and hakama.

"S-Sess…hou…m-maru…" she managed to growl out. Looking up at the man, she repeated the name, instinctively knowing that it was that youkai's name.

Good. She was beginning to remember him. He sunk down beside her to ensure her that he would stay by her side. "Do you remember?" he asked. He inwardly cringed when he caught the scent of salt in the air.

"S-Sesshoumaru…" she repeated, tears spilling over her cheeks. "Why do I know your face? I don't know anything about you!"

So, what Naraku said was true…It was not that easy for her to regain her memories. The next sentence she said nearly made his heart clench.

"It hurts so much…kill me…please…"

_In a dream_

_Will you give your love to me_

_Beg my broken heart to beat_

_Save my life_

_Change my mind_

She knew nothing of anything else, but she was still suffering inside. The transformation into a true soulless self was incomplete as he suspected. Damn it all! A small growl of frustration let out from his throat, his composure beginning to break once more. The reason that Kanna was like how she was because she was made that way from birth. Making someone progress into insanity only locks the soul into darkness; not rids the body of itself completely.

"No," he answered simply. "You will fight your way out of this. Dying is the easy way out."

"I belong alone…" she responded. "I belong by myself. I don't deserve life. I don't deserve _you_."

_If I fall and all is lost_

_No light to lead the way_

_Remember that all alone_

_Is where I belong _

She knew enough to know they must have been together before. However, she still did not remember what they specifically did together, nor how close they were.

Sesshoumaru pondered to himself why he was willing to lose control of his emotions for her. When had she worked her way under his skin? They were only partners in bedding down and yet…he wanted to be beside her when she thought she was alone. What did that mean to him?

"Let me go…" she murmured, making him stare at her in wonderment. Did she just say what he thought she said? "Let me go, Sesshoumaru." She retrieved her fan and rose to her feet shakily.

_'Kagura…kill him…' _

The woman stumbled backwards, clutching her head once more. "No…" she murmured. "Get away!"

_'Kill him! He doesn't care about you! He's only trying to catch you off guard.'_

Sesshoumaru knew that she was fighting forces beyond herself. "Do not take me for a fool, Kagura. I will not leave you at his mercy."

Her eyes grew void once her hands left her countenance. "You are the fool," she said in an eerie tone. Lifting her fan in a fast motion, Sesshoumaru flipped out of the way to avoid direct contact with her wind blades. She was losing herself once more.

_'Kagura, you belong alone. Kill him who challenges you.' _

"Ryuuja no Mai!" she spoke aloud, creating four mini-tornadoes that surrounded Sesshoumaru from all sides.

The daiyoukai smirked in spite of himself. His expression grew cold once more. Unsheathing Toukijin, he sliced through the tornado in front of him in order to land in front of her. "Do not create such diversions. I am not one to be underestimated. You should know that better than most, Kagura."

Knowing that the rest of the tornadoes would have no effect, she dispersed them with one flick of her wrist. "I warned you and now you will have to die."

"Humph," he only scoffed. "Do not inherit his idiocy."

"What idiocy? It will soon be fact," she shot back, flipping a few feet away from him and wringing out more wind blades.

Sesshoumaru dodged each one easily, beginning to get annoyed at both her actions and at Naraku. It was getting hard to avoid not injuring her in some way. "It will never be fact," he stated. "Of all people, I thought you to be strong enough to avoid succumbing to Naraku's control."

"He created me. Why should I not follow his words?" she replied, continuing to emit more wind blades.

"He also stripped you of your freedom. Do you not remember the heart beat that you lack?" His words did not have the singe of desperation, but they still were able to pierce into her subconscious.

The crescents of white stopped as Kagura began to hesitate once more. "'Heart beat'?" she muttered, not knowing what he meant.

"You have no pulse. He holds your heart," Sesshoumaru explained in a simple tone, standing firmly in place.

She raised her eyebrow, placing her hand over her chest as if to test out his theory. To her dismay, he was right. There were no movements against her palm. Of course, since her mind was mostly blank, save to obey Naraku, she forgot about this part of her.

Sesshoumaru noticed her begin to falter. Good. She was beginning to regain herself again.

_'Kagura. Do not listen to his words.' _

Kagura clutched her head. "Shut up!" she hissed to the voice within her head. Her other hand grasped her fan harshly.

The daiyoukai knew that he had to take some type of action soon. Over time, she could slip under Naraku's control once more.

However, what neither of them knew was that while Naraku left nothing behind to watch them, that did not mean that there were no spectators.

**

* * *

**

Naraku

* * *

Upon seeing the wooden piece beside him snap in half, he knew that Kagura was fighting Sesshoumaru as planned. After summoning Kanna, she showed him the fight taking place. His eyes narrowed when he saw Kagura continuing to struggle against him and his hold over her.

Even after speaking within her mind, Sesshoumaru still had words to say to tap into her senses. The battle was getting nowhere. It was frustrating. Naraku hoped for either Sesshoumaru or Kagura's death. He cared little for who had the more possibility of dying. He just wanted death to happen.

"Kagura is gaining control of herself," Kanna murmured in her eerie emotionless voice.

"I know," the dark hanyou growled, his composure beginning to leave him. Was all of this work truly worth such failure? This elaborate plan hatched was as worthwhile as Musou being released from him. However, like this plan, Musou gaining freedom from him was something that did not work out as originally intended. So, did that mean that the purpose for Kagura's lack of a conscious was a lost cause?

While he thought to himself, he made the disobeying incarnation's heart appear within his palm. It was as if he was beginning to make up his mind. A deadly grin appeared on his face. "Then let us grant Kagura her choice to awaken…" he snickered. Turning his gaze on the mirror, he waited for his chance to take action.

**

* * *

**

Sesshoumaru and Kagura

* * *

It had been a while, but slowly, the daiyoukai began to see Kagura's true self being exposed. She staggered forward, his name falling from her lips as if she were chanting it to cast a spell.

"S-Sesshoumaru…Sesshoumaru…"

His cold expression remained in tact, but his eyes showed the slightest relief.

She sent a sudden wind blade in his direction. However, this attack had no predetermined direction; it was just one she released out of frustration and confusion.

As predicted, he managed to maneuver himself out of the way before he could have gotten hit. "How long will it take for you to recover yourself?" He pondered the question aloud, talking under his breath. His patience was thinning even more so.

Suddenly, as if his words had some kind of effect on her, Kagura's body froze up in mid-step. Her upper torso struggled, but her legs would not move. She appeared to be mixed up on where to go.

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow rose slightly. What was going on?

_'Kagura, that man is someone you used to love,' _began the familiar mental voice. The tone used was very different from before. The "confession" made much more sense to the confused woman. _'I only sought to protect you from his harshness. He never aided your cries for help. He only used you.'_

She was powerless and all she could do was listen to the treacherous words. "Love…" she whispered to herself. Glancing back at Sesshoumaru, she stepped forward with more certainty in her movements. "I loved Sesshoumaru," she said loud enough for the youkai to pick up on it. Inwardly, despite her protests, she had some sinking feeling that Naraku was not too far from the truth.

The daiyoukai's eyes widened in the slightest. He stood erect as if someone had pierced him through the gut. It was beginning to make sense to him now. Why Naraku said that he drove her over the edge. Why he felt strange emotions for her. Why she acted unusual around him. It was all having to deal with the feeble emotion called love. The one emotion that he claimed time and time again to never possess.

There was no way that he felt the same type of feelings for her. Or was he just lying to himself? Admitting to himself that he felt the same for Kagura would contradict all that he believed in. "Kagura," he could only say in response, trying his hardest to compose himself.

**

* * *

**

Naraku

* * *

"Kanna, you have done well," Naraku chuckled, surveying the items that his albino servant brought back for him. Laying before the evil hanyou was a fermenting jar and lid. Taking Kagura's heart with one hand, he placed it into the jar. With the same hand, he filled remaining space with the shouki spreading out of his palm.

He sneered at the dark mass of his poison and placed the lid over the container.

Kanna watched the entire scene with no emotion on her face. She felt no remorse nor amusement towards what he had done. "Kagura continues to struggle," she announced, still hanging onto her mirror.

"We will see how long she'll be able to last," he smirked, his crimson eyes twinkling with delight.

**

* * *

**

Sesshoumaru and Kagura

* * *

It was as if the two had reached a stalemate. No one moved or even said a word for the past few minutes.

Not liking the silence, Sesshoumaru broke it. "Kagura, how much do you remember?" He took a few steps toward her, not caring if she would attack again.

The woman would not answer him. She was still under Naraku's influence, regardless of how hard she fought against it.

The closer he got, the more he noticed that something was wrong with her. Her face looked paler than usual. Maintaining his calm exterior, he inwardly pondered to himself what was causing her to appear so ill. Maybe she tired herself out? No, that did not seem right.

_'Aren't you going to extract your revenge against him? He hurt you countless times.'_

"Leave me alone!" she suddenly shouted, catching the inu-youkai off guard for a few moments.

He knew that she was not talking to him and prevented his expression from faltering. Then, to his dismay, her knees buckled out from beneath her.

Kagura's eyes narrowed as she clutched her chest. Her breathing became labored moments before she coughed violently. Trails of crimson liquid dripped down her chin as she stared up at her supposed enemy and lover. Her eyes seemed dimmer than before and it was not because of a lack of emotion.

A growl escaped Sesshoumaru's throat before he could stop it from coming out. Naraku was doing something to her heart and there was no way to stop him. The daiyoukai knew that Naraku was at a safe distance away from the fight so that he could not be stopped in case something did not go as planned. It also meant that they were being watched all along.

A cackle sounded through Kagura's skull. _'Such a shame that you failed at even the simplest of instructions. I tried my best to help you, but I guess it was a wasted effort.'_

An image flashed through her mind. The first death she lived through.

_"Kagura, there was a reason I didn't desire to help you. That was because I wanted to kill you, myself…"_

In her mind's eye, Sesshoumaru's form contorted into a grotesque and familiar shape. His cold voice held a more sinister depth and warmth.

"Naraku," Kagura murmured aloud upon seeing the man who caused all of her agony. Despite the increase in a burning sensation in her chest, she felt her fists clench. "Naraku, the bastard…" she growled. She blinked back tears. However, with that blink also brought back the smothering flames of her previous personality.

Sesshoumaru heard her snarl and knew that she was regaining herself at a faster rate. "Kagura," he uttered, gaining the incarnation's attention.

She glanced up at Sesshoumaru and her eyes widened. "S-Sesshoumaru…" Her mind was still scrambled, but she was beginning to remember to everything about herself. "My heart. It feels like someone's burning it…" she then added. After a long while of silence, her agony only increased and she let out a small whimper in response.

The young male felt anger rise up within him once more. Naraku was forcing her memories to return for a reason. He wanted Kagura to remember everything before she died. It would make her death all the more painful. He felt his claws lengthen. He was finding it harder to contain his inner beast.

Kagura noticed that Sesshoumaru was struggling to contain his emotions based on the way his eyes began to bleed red. She knew that she was dying. What she did not know was why he reacted so strongly to her ailment. Did she mean so much to him?

Looking down at the grass, she noticed stains of red. Pulling her hand away from her chest, she found that the area was soaked with crimson. She then coughed up more blood. "Stop, Sesshoumaru. Please. It won't do any good now," she whispered. "I don't remember all of the things we did together, but I know that it causes me sadness to see you so bent out of shape for my sake…"

Pushing apart her kimono in the slightest way, she felt in the area above her left breast where the blood was coming from. She did not have to look to know that her skin was rotting from the inside. The blood must have come from her veins being exposed. She was not really sure.

Sesshoumaru's superior hearing picked up her quiet words. He gradually gained control of his rage. His expression became stoic while his eyes softened in the slightest bit. Was there anything he could do?

"T-Tenseiga…" she murmured, glancing at sheathed sword at his side. "Don't use it…"

How did she know what his future actions would be? The thought came to mind when she started losing blood, but he never voiced himself. He did not protest. Instead, he asked, "Would that not give Naraku the win over you?"

"Maybe…" she replied after coughing more. "B-but, I regained myself… That was the battle. He may have given back most of my memories to make me suffer more, but it's obvious that he wouldn't have caused this to happen unless I became too much trouble."

She had a point. Naraku knew that she was protesting too much for his liking. She became too difficult and so he made the motion of dispatching of her.

Kagura was losing strength quickly. She would not live for much longer.

Sesshoumaru knew that she was no longer capable of fighting him and so made the gap between them narrow.

She smiled up at him. "Thank you for whatever you must have done for me…" she acknowledged. She wished that her death would have happened much more quickly, but it seemed as if Naraku purposely planned on having her suffer for a longer period of time.

He did not say anything in response. His thoughts were battling within him the more he looked at her. He was close enough to reach out and touch her.

Kagura saw the seriousness in his expression. She also knew that though he did not show it, he was still at least mildly pained. She maintained her happy poise even as her body began to disintegrate. The blood ceased flowing, but it was already too late.

"I love you, Sesshoumaru…" became the whisper that carried on into the wind as her body became no more.

She appeared to him like an ancient ink painting. As fire would easily burn the scroll, something beautiful and significant would burn into dust and exist no longer.

It seemed as if time itself had stopped. The wind bristled with unbelievable force. Sesshoumaru stood frozen, staring blankly into the grass where Kagura once laid. It was if he thought that staring at the ground long enough would bring her back to him.

He stood erect, preparing to walk off, when a sudden event stopped him from moving. The cold wind blew his silver hair back and also made his cheek feel a strange sensation. It was…_wet. _

The daiyoukai took his only index finger to his face, wiping off the single liquid pearl that formed without his knowing. His eyes widened momentarily. What was this? He had never felt such a thing before. He watched the crystalline tear glisten against his pale finger.

He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, absorbing the sole reminder of the moment into himself. Never again would this happen to him.

Sesshoumaru's face gained a fierce coldness that he rarely expressed. His golden eyes blazed with a rage so deep that anyone who stood in his way could have died by just his glance. Turning his back to the scene, he began to walk away from whence he came.

His "cloud nine" was gone forevermore. Naraku would have Hell to pay.

* * *

A/N: Please don't kill me! Ack!

I'm pretty sure some people are depressed from this fic… If you are, then I have done my part. Yeah, I know; I'm evil.

Anyways, don't flame me just because of deaths! I warned you of tragedy! The length and limes should hopefully help me not get flamed…

**Translations:**

Nintoujou - Staff of Two Heads

Inukkoro - "Dog-turd," "Mutt," etc. Basically any insulting name that you can imagine Kouga saying to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha-Tachi - Inuyasha's group

Youkai - Demon

Inu-youkai - Dog-demon

Daiyoukai - A more powerful and experienced demon

Hanyou - Half-demon

Kongousouha - "Adament Barrage"

Fuujin no Mai - Dance of Blades

Ryuuja no Mai - Dance of the Dragon

Please review! It's the least you could do after reading about twenty pages worth of literature!

Ja ne!


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